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Judge strikes down four defense motions in firefighters’ trial

Former Shreveport firefighters — Richardson, Derrick Harris, Jason Vaughan and Billy Glass — are said to have hired a prostitute to have sex with an mentally disabled man during work hours at their station. They and another colleague, Randy Chandler, are also charged with cruelty to the infirm stemming from reports they played abusive jokes on another mentally disabled man while on the job.

The former Shreveport firefighters accused of mistreating two mentally challenged men at Fire Station No. 8 were dealt another blow Friday as Judge Ramona Emanuel denied four of their motions.

One was brought by former firefighter Clint Richardson, who argued that his written statement to investigators should not be included as evidence at trial because he was not read his Miranda rights in an appropriate time frame when he was being interrogated. His statement solidified his knowledge of the alleged prostitution at Station No. 8.

The prosecution, with whom the court agreed, said Miranda rights need only be presented to a detainee who is arrested and that Richardson confessed freely and willingly.

Former Shreveport firefighters — Richardson, Derrick Harris, Jason Vaughan and Billy Glass — are said to have hired a prostitute to have sex with an mentally disabled man during work hours at their station. They and another colleague, Randy Chandler, are also charged with cruelty to the infirm stemming from reports they played abusive jokes on another mentally disabled man while on the job.

Three other motions Friday were also rejected. They included a request for investigators’ notes; a move to quash firefighters’ indictments on the grounds that the definition of what makes a person “infirm” is “unconstitutionally vague;” and a motion to suppress Glass’s interview with investigators.

Emanuel did grant defendants’ request to delay the trial’s start date. The misdemeanor cases, which will see each defendant tried separately, involving the alleged prostitution will begin Aug. 28. The felony cruelty trial dates will be decided July 30.

That’s also the day the judge will hear arguments relating to whether the opinions of a mental health professional, who evaluated the two men said to have been mistreated and determined they in fact have limited intellectual capacity, will be allowed in trial.

All of the defendants appeared in court today, including Harris, who made news recently for making threatening posts against fire department employees on Facebook. He was wearing a red Caddo jailhouse jumpsuit.

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